


Parenting

by WakeUpDreaming



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, JJ and Hotch friendship, Team as Family, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-05 02:32:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4162317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WakeUpDreaming/pseuds/WakeUpDreaming
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry’s having nightmares and JJ goes to the only person whose child has had similar experiences: Hotch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Parenting

“Henry’s having nightmares,” JJ blurts out at the end of the case. It was a horrible one – children murdered in the own beds by a predator who stalked them for weeks. And JJ’s only thought has been that Henry’s own demons have been forcing him awake at night.

Hotch looks up at her, curious. “From what happened with the bank robbers?”

“He heard me talking about what – what happened to me, when I was kidnapped,” JJ interrupts. “And he asked me if it was the same woman who broke into our house. He knows what I do, and something triggered these horrible nightmares. And now…” She trails off, exhaling shakily. “And I know this isn’t work conversation, but, Hotch, you’re the only one who might even…Who might even know how to handle it.”

Hotch sits down in the chair next to JJ, reaching out and tapping her hand in a gesture so unlike Hotch that JJ wonders if her question sparked something he hasn’t even confronted yet. “Jack cried every night, woke up screaming in terror, for a full year. A year. And I wasn’t there every time. Jessica would have to call me, wherever I was, so that he could talk to me and prove I was still alive. But then it slowed down. And it was once a week. And then once a month.”

“Does it ever end?” JJ asks, and Hotch stands up, offering something that looks like he’s trying to smile, but it just looks heartbroken.

“Once a month, still,” he says quietly. “At least. Last week a kid at school found out why Jack’s mom isn’t in his life and asked him what it was like to meet a serial killer in person. He apparently had a panic attack in the middle of class and I had to go get him. Jack’s slept in my room every night since then.”

JJ sighs. “How do we do this?” she asks, resting her hand on her stomach as the baby kicks against her hand. “How do we do this job, knowing who’s out there, and keep our kids away from it all?”

Hotch packs up papers on his desk, a job JJ doesn’t miss, and exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. “We can’t,” he says quietly. “We do our best.”

“And when our best isn’t enough?” JJ asks. The baby kicks, this time much harder. “Oof.”

“I don’t think number two there is happy with this conversation,” Hotch says, smiling for the first time JJ’s seen in days.

JJ’s own laugh sounds foreign to her ears. “She gets mad at me when I’m negative,” JJ offers.

“Come on,” Hotch says, “I’d say I’d buy you a drink, but.” He gestures to her stomach. “You know.”

JJ laughs and pulls herself up. “Well,” she says, grabbing her bag from Hotch, “maybe it’s inevitable. Out of all of us who’ve been on this team with children, we’ve all had something awful happen to our kids.”

“But they’ve all survived,” Hotch says firmly. “They’ve all gotten through it and, though it’s been horrible, they all have become better people for it. Stronger people for it.”

JJ nods and steps toward the door, but he pushes open the door for JJ.

“You know, I can do that myself,” she says, grinning.

Hotch shrugs. “I know you can. But I like to help.”

JJ smiles. “What worked to help Jack?” she asks, walking down the steps. “With the nightmares, I mean.”

“Not much I could do but be there for him when he needed me,” Hotch says. “I wish I could do more.”

“JJ!” Spencer yells from the bullpen. “JJ, I just did some research about second children. Did you know that, if children are more than five years apart, the youngest children are often considered to have similar qualities to oldest and only children?” Spencer continues in this vein, and Hotch offers JJ a grin.

“How about,” JJ says, grabbing Spencer’s hand and hooking her arm through his elbow, “you and I continue this conversation over drinks and appetizers. We’ll get the whole team.”

Spencer blinks at her. “Sure,” he says. “But if you’re not drinking –”

“Oh, but you will be,” JJ says, tapping his arm lightly. “And that makes it all the more entertaining.”

Hotch laughs – actually laughs – and JJ thinks that, maybe, just maybe, everybody’s going to be all right in the end.


End file.
